GUEST BLOGGER: TERI LYNNE UNDERWOOD

Marriages tend to get placed under the doormat of the dailies or complicated by chaos. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Neglect should never be the norm for our marriages. There are some things we can do to prevent marriage meltdown.

I am honored to have Teri Lynne Underwood share her heart and some practical tips for strengthening our marriages. Teri Lynne is an exceptional speaker and Bible teacher. You can find her wonderful, witty and challenging insight on her webpage www.pleasingtoyou.com.

Today she shares 4 Ideas for Marriage:

Keep It …

Marriage is hard … and it takes a lot of work. But, I’m learning that much of the work to be done is based on very simple things. For me, I’m working to keep four things at the priority …

Keep it SIMPLE! Focus on what really matters. Sure I’d like the trash taken out the night before because I’m a planner. But, as long as it’s out before the trash truck comes – does it really matter how long the can has been sitting at the curb? Nope, not a bit! So, instead of focusing on WHEN the trash goes out, I’m learning to focus on being thankful that my husband takes care of that chore.

Keep it SILLY!Laugh together every day . Learning to see the humor in life has been the best lesson my husband has taught me. Often we laugh at me – I’m pretty quirky and there’s lots to find amusing. But it seems that when we laugh we are more connected and at peace.

Keep it SEXY! Kiss, hug, touch, often. We never leave the house and rarely leave the room without kissing each other. We hold hands during prayers at church. We curl up together to watch TV. And we hug each other often … especially in front of our daughter. Touch is so important and leads to more touch. I enjoy being touched by my husband and I love to touch him.

Keep it SWEET!Say nice things to and about each other – daily. Being purposeful about seeing and saying the wonderful attributes of our spouses brings great strength to marriage. We all enjoy being complimented. Making time to be intentional about encouraging and uplifting our spouses is an important component to a strong marriage.

Keep it SPOKEN!Make sure you discuss problems that arise before they get out of hand. Give compliments generously ~ sometimes behind his back! Speak well of your husband to your children. It’s easy at some stages of life (especially the one when we still have young children still in our homes) to give all our best efforts to the various tasks at hand leaving only leftovers for our husbands … DON’T!

Both my husband and I are blessed to be in families where our grandparents have celebrated their 50th anniversaries and beyond. We have a legacy of long and healthy marriages. But we know those marriages don’t happen by chance. Solid marriages are not simple … they require much effort and sacrifice. But, oh, the rewards!

MAKE time to keep your marriage simple – focus on what really matters!TAKE time to keep you marriage silly – laugh together!ENJOY time to keep your marriage sexy – touch and do it often!CHERISH time to keep your marriage sweet – share kind words with your spouse.And of course, GIVE time to speaking – good communication is the key to a successful marriage.

It’s never to late to make your marriage a priority. Even strong marriages need to be nourished to remain healthy. What about you? Are there some ideas Teri Lynne shared that you need to work on in your own marriage? Do you have any advice for those who are just beginning or struggling in their marriages?

Share this:

One Comment

Very true!!! Very good advice!! I wish more couples would realize the responsibility and work that marriage involves. It breaks my heart these days to see so many marriages falling apart! When it really is the simple things that make it work! Thank you for this reminder!